Through the Eyes of the Lost One
by R.K. Binx
Summary: When Maddy, an eighth grade girl, is sucked into Middle Earth, she must summon all her courage in order to save her friends, and get home. Thanks for your reviews, oh and this is NOT a Mary Sue. I accept anonomous reviews! Please, please read and review!
1. Uncharted Cave

Chapter 1: Uncharted cave

I stared eagerly out the west window of Mrs. Laney's classroom, awaiting the familiar sound of the end-of-school bell. The sun shone brightly on the dark green lawn and birds could be heard through the open window. I was engulfed in the lovely afternoon, and looking forward to riding horseback with my best friend, Alicia. It was, afterall, the perfect Friday afternoon, especially since it was our last friday of the year. I smiled lazily and sighed, just a little too loudly.

"Maddy Lunderburg, are you even paying attention?" Mrs. Laney asked, and my head snapped up in her direction. I noted the frustrated look on her face and nodded my head quickly.

"Yes, Mrs. Laney," I said automatically, and then added, "I just got a little distracted."

"Yes, I'm sure," Mrs. Laney said, "Then you'll be able to identify the separate clauses in this sentence, and then diagram it on the board."

"Umm...one independent clause and two dependent clauses," I stated with difficulty.

"Correct," Mrs. Laney answered, smiling, "Now tell me what kind of sentence it is."

"It's a...umm...umm...oh, yeah, it's a complex sentence." I replied, smiling, fakely back.

"Stated with difficulty, but yes, it is. Now I'll expect all of you to hand in your finished story on Monday. And you should know that it was assigned two weeks ago, so you should have at least started it by now. Well, the bell's about to go and since it's the last Friday of this school year, I'll let you all out five minutes early. Oh, and Maddy please see me after class." Mrs. Laney finished and smiled as the entire class let out an "oooooo" at the sound of my name. _Great, _I thought sourly, _first the stupid story that I forgot about, and now she wants to see me after class._

Everyone got up out of their seats, gathered their stuff and hurried out the door. I looked over to Alicia, but she was already out the door. I walked slowly over to the big front desk and stood, awaiting Mrs. Laney's speech.

"Maddy," she began, looking at me, "I've noticed that your grades are slipping, not badly but I think that you need to focus more. You've always been such a great student, but now that there's only one week of school left, you've been daydreaming and dozing off during class. You have a B, but if you get a good grade on this essay, you'll be up to at least an A-. Did you even start the essay?"

"Yes," I lied and added, "It's about halfway through."

"Good, I was wrong to underestimate you, now go and have a good weekend."

I turned and swiftly exited the classroom. Alicia was waiting for me by the lockers and linked my arm and asked excitedly, "What did she say? Was she mad? Are you failing? C'mon, spill all!" She smiled eagerly as I opened my locker and began exchanging books and putting things into my locker.

"Well, let's just say I have a B+ and I can raise it with the story that I havn't started yet. I don't even know what I'm going to write about!" I complained and zipped up my backpack. "Besides," I added, smirking, "We're riding this after noon." I slammed my locker and hugged my latest reading material to my chest; _The Lord of the Rings. _I hoisted my backpack onto my shoulder and Alicia and I walked out to the parking lot where my mom would pick us up. Just as we exited the Commons building we came upon the three most popular girls in the eighth grade. Samantha, their leader walked toward us.

"Hey, look who decided to walk out of social rehabilitation. Last I checked, they were hiding out in the library, crooning over their blessed books." Samantha laughed wickedly and her companions, Leslie and Elle giggled along with her.

"At least we can read, " I retorted angrily, " Oh, yes and we're not interested in the mindless , vain, stupidity that you call popularity."

"I have a boyfriend," She said, mockingly.

"So, what does that matter. What you need is a brain transplant." I said hotly.

" When pigs fly." She retorted and her friends laughed coldly.

"Oh," I gasped, acting surprised, "You fly?"

She clicked her tongue and smiled, "Cute, you almost had me for a minute. Let's bounce girls, this unhealthy sight is ruining my eyesight." She turned and walked away and her companions followed.

We started toward the parking lot in silence. Alicia stopped and tapped my arm, "How can you be so brave?" she asked, "I may have spunk but I'd never stand up to Samantha Handsommer, never."

"Being brave isn't standing up to the most popular girl in our grade" I answered, " It's slaying a dragon, or leading a legion of troops galiantly into battle, or saving your best friend from certain death." I stopped and looked at her, she was smiling.

"You're right," She said, laughing, " But we should get going or your mom might leave without us." And we headed out into the parking lot.

Two hours later we were seated comfortably on our horses riding along a trail near Tunnel Springs. Alicia had chosen Barnst, an old, wethered, greyish brown trail horse for our afternoon ride. Whereas I was riding my horse, Chicago Bell, a younger brown and white paint horse I had recieved for my eleventh birthday. We rode in silence, trying to find the cave we had chosen to ride to. We had traveled for at least an hour and should've been close to it by now.

"We've probably passed it," observed Alicia and I nodded in agreement.

"Wait, there it is!" I announced excitedly and urged Chicago forward. Alicia followed my lead and soon we reached the mouth of an old, abandoned cave.

"Ya-wait! It doesn't match the picture." Said Alicia from behind me, sounding puzzled, "Do you see an information board anywhere?"

"No, there's nothing but rocks and plants and dirt- you get the picture." I answered and stepped toward the cave. "Let's explore it anyway." We tied up our horses and walked into the cave, carefully.

"Don't talk, it might cave in." I warned as we made out way down. It was surprisingly light and airy in the cave. The walls were a dark greyish color and the ceiling wasn't visible through the low-hanging misty-like element that clung to the air no more than three inches above our heads.

"This is really weir-" But I was cut off as the ground below me seemed to vanish and I began to fall. I screamed loudly and Alicia attemted to grab my hand, but I was out of reach and disapearing before she realized what had happened.

I was falling fast, through and endless swirl of colors and shapes. All around I caught different parts of voices and what they were saying, but all was a blurr of sound, so I could not make anything clearly out. Then suddenly I heard A high-pitched whistle and had to cover my ears. The next thing I knew, there was an excrushiating pain in the back of my head and all went black.


	2. Not Your Average Orc Assassin

CHAPTER 2: Not Your Average Orc Assassin 

I felt a light breeze against my face and opened my eyes to find grass all around me. The ground beneath me was solid (to my relief!) and the sun reflected off the grass so brightly that I had to turn and cover my eyes to sit up. I moaned a little bit as the shocking pain in my head became noticeable and I rubbed my head where I had first noticed the pain. Sure enough, there was dried blood and I sighed, wishing I had a mirror. I looked around, noting the hills covered in dry, dead grass and the blue sky, stretching far off into the horizon. I stood up and attempted to walk forward, but my foot struck something hard and I smashed, face-first into the ground. I looked up from the ground, cursing , and tried to find what I had tripped on. There, sitting on the ground by feet was my knapsack, the last thing I had expected to find. I sighed and picked it up. I swung it over my shoulder and started down the hill.

It was tough going and after about two hours of walking I found myself staring into a large forest. I blew a piece of auburn brown hair out of my face and carefully entered the forest. It was darkish and kind of scary. I looked around uneasily and kept up a quick pace, maneuvering over large tree roots and rocks of all shapes and sizes.

"Why do these things always happen to me?" I asked myself with annoyance, "I mean, it's not like Alicia would fall through a whole and wake up in some stupid big plain-like area and walk into a forest, not knowing where she was. And what about me? Oh, yeah, I'M THE ONE IN THE FOREST!" I practically screamed out the last six words and stopped walking, almost shaking with rage.

" Maddy, take a hold of yourself," I told myself, taking in deep breaths. "You'll find a way to get out of this-What the Hell!" I screamed and almost fell over as an arrow whizzed right past my nose. I stumbled backward and looked in the direction the arrow had come from. Just realizing that there were probably more arrows, I ran behind the nearest tree and looked around the side carefully.

"Hey, who's shooting the stupid arrows?" I mumbled and took a sharp intake of breath as another arrow landed near the tree I was behind. I quietly set down my pack and made my way around the other side of the tree.

"Ouch!" I muttered under my breath as my foot slid and hit a sharp stick, cutting through my jeans. "Oh why?" I whispered, desperately, feeling the blood dripping down my ankle.

Arrows continually shot on the other side of the tree and I sighed, relieved that my attacker hadn't noticed my leaving. I made it to the other side and ran, very quietly to a bush about four feet away and ducked behind it. Still, arrows were being shot to my former position I and almost laughed, realizing how stupid my attacker was. It was then that I became confused. The arrows were brown and fairly beat up. I walked slowly around the trees until I had a clear view of my attacker.

There, two small children huddled behind a huge tree root, shooting clumsily at the tree I had hid behind. I walked up behind them and put my hands on my hips, watching them, very amused.

"Did you get her yet?" I asked, holding back laughter.

"Oh, yeah, I think so." Said the one on the right, "She hasn't come ou-" He stopped and they both turned and stared at me, their eyes wide with fright and confusion.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" They screamed together and I put my hands out in front of me, shaking my hands fiercely.

"Wait, please! I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm not bad, I don't even have a weapon, see?" I said, desperately and showed them my empty hands. They nodded and the slightly taller one on the left stepped forward, nodding.

"Yeah, you're not bad," He said, and they both started giggling, "We thought you were an orc!"

"Thanks," I said sarcastically and they were both so helpless with laughter that I started laughing too. Not five minutes later we had stopped laughing and sat in a small circle, sharing a stale piece of bread.

"What are your names?" I asked, swallowing a piece of the bread with some difficulty.

"I'm Hallath, and this is my little brother, Beinion. We were separated from our parents when the orcs attacked our village and killed off all the others. We were going to Edoras to warn King Theoden. We got lost and then-" he cut off, giggling, "we found you."

"Oh, I'm sorry about your parents. Unfortunately we're kinda in the same position, you see, I don't belong her…I…well…let's just say I'm not familiar with your type of life, or anything from here for that matter. I probably have no way of ever getting back." They looked at me soberly and nodded. The smaller one, who seemed about five or six years of age hugged me and smiled.

"That's okay," he said, "If you don't find home, you can stay with us."

"That sound like a great idea!" I said enthusiastically, not wanting to hurt his feelings, and patted him on the back. "We should get going. No telling when we may meet up with some orcs."

"Yes," agreed Hallath, "You should have a sword. We'll use these daggers and the bow." He handed me a older-looking sword and we quickly packed up and started walking toward the tree I had first hid behind.

"Just let me get my pack." I said, and ran ahead and grabbed it, positioning it comfortably on my shoulders. "Umm, by the way, where exactly are we?"

"Fangorn Forest," Answered Hammolath, and in my mind, a million things began to clear up. I was now in Middle Earth.


	3. Long Walk and Open Plains

Chapter 3: Where Is Edoras, Again?

Hammolath, Beinion, and I had been walking for at least three hours, and still we were no closer to finding our way out of the forest. Beinion had started out eagerly, but after the first hour he had lagged behind and cried for a little while, saying he was too tired to go on. I took pity on him and carried him until he fell asleep.

"Hey, Hallath?" I asked, sighing from the weight of Beinion, "Are you okay?" He had been silent for a while, looking at the ground and I had begun to worry about him.

"Yes, I'm okay," He answered solemnly, not looking up from the ground, "Just tired."

"No, something's up, er wrong, I can feel it." I commented, raising an eyebrow at him.

He smiled at me and answered slowly, "I just-I was just thinking, maybe-maybe if we hadn't left to go for a walk-maybe we could have saved them." He finished with difficulty and a single tear slid down his cheek. I stopped and set Beinion on the ground and hugged Hallath.

"No," I said soothingly, "There was nothing you could have done. If you had gone back, the orcs would have killed you too. I didn't know that you had been walking when it happened. It must have been horrible to come home and, you know, find them." I stopped and released him. He wiped his face with his sleeve and sniffled.

"How did, I mean, are your parents dead?" He asked with difficulty.

"I-I-I'm not sure anymore," I answered and sat down, pulling my pack into my lap. "When I, you know, appeared here, they were just fine, and they probably still are. I'm not too worried."

"Are you going to leave us, Maddy?" Asked a small voice and I turned to see Beinion looking at me with sad eyes.

"Of course not! I'm gonna stay with you until all the forces of Hell come out and have to drag me away screaming like a Banshee to take me from you! We can be like the Three Musketeers! Right, all for one and one for all!" I shouted, raising my fist in the air and shaking it wildly. They burst into laughter and, realizing what I had just done, I laughed with them.

"Right," agreed Hallath, smiling, "We'll stick together all the way!" I smiled, noting to myself that I had just made two inseparable friends and I told myself that from this day on I would guard them from any dangers that may come.

We had finally made our way out of Fangorn and now stared out into vast open plains of grass. The wind was blowing and I had to smooth my hair out of my eyes in order to see it all. Hallath and Beinion became excited and stared happily out into the grass covered land. Hallath quickly started down the hill at a running pace and Beinion followed. I made to run after them, but tripped and rolled helplessly down the hill. They ran to my side at the bottom of the hill and just looked at me as I sat up, laughing.

"Well, at least I beat you down," I gasped between giggles, "You should have seen your faces!"

"Yeah, you looked really funny." Concluded Beinion, giggling.

"We're almost at Edoras now," Said Hallath, helping me up, "We need to head in that direction," he continued, pointing to what looked like far off mountains, maybe. "We best get there by sunset."

"Yes," I agreed, "We wouldn't want to run into any more _orcs._" Beinion giggled and Hallath just smiled, looking distant. He walked about three feet off and stopped. Beinion tugged my sleeve and I looked down at him.

"Hallath is sad," he whispered, "The last we came, we came with our parents."

"I know," I said, watching Hallath, "But we should get going, it can't be later than noon, and if we hurry we might be able to get there before dark." Hallath turned to me proudly and smiled pointing down another hill.

"I see horses," He said and a little ray of hope lit up in me. We were going to be there faster than I thought!

**Authors Note: Sorry, it's kind of sad, but I hope you liked it. Please R&R! Oh, and thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate them and I really need them too. **


	4. We're Being Followed

Chapter 4: We're Being Followed

In all my life, I don't think I ever felt so strange, seeing horses grazing in the field below us. I had expected to have to carry Beinion all the way to Edoras (wherever that was) and spend the night in Middle Earth. To tell the truth, my feelings were unreadable and strange. I felt happy, yet I also felt like I had fallen off a cliff and wondered if I would even be able to mount a horse in my current state. I watched Hallath run to the edge of the rise and slowly make his way toward the horses. He came upon a large brown horse standing to the edge of the herd. He had gently approached it and reached out his hand to stroke the creature's mane.

Then the worst happened. In a flash Hallath was on the ground and the horse was raging towards the young boy again. I practically flew down the hill and before the horse could run at Hallath, and put myself in the space separating them. The horse was bucking and reared up. I was scared and I no longer knew where Beinion had gone, or whether he was safe. The horse kept rearing raged, whinnying with fury. I ran to the side of the horse (the stupidest thing I could have even thought of) and began stroking the mane and reaching my arms around the horses neck. I heard myself mumbling strange words and the horse calmed under my touch. I finally released it, backing up to look at it. I sighed heavily, kind of shocked at what had just taken place. The horse shook his head and snorted, coming forward and nuzzling my shoulder.

"Brego," I breathed quietly, "Your name is Brego." I turned and gasped as I found that Hallath was lying sprawled out on the ground no more than fifteen yards away with Beinion bending over him, crying. I rushed to them, my heart in my throat.

"He's not breathing!" Sobbed Beinion and wiped his nose on his already dirty sleeve.

"Shush," I snapped, near crying myself, "He's going to be fine. Just help me lift him and get my pack, there's water in it. Wait, never mind, I have my pack." I mumbled a few other hurried and strange phrases, not keeping track of anything that issued from my mouth.

I pulled the half empty water bottle from my pack and hurriedly opened it, flinging the cap to one side. I opened his mouth and poured in some water.

"Hallath, come on, wake up!" I said, tears issuing from my eyes, "Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit shit! Why did I refuse to take lessons in CPR? I'm so stupid, but then, I didn't know that I'd get stuck in Middle Earth and have to save Hallath. Oh, if only…I don't know. And now he's probably dead and it's all my fault----Hey, don't laugh Hallath! Because of me you're dead! Wait," I blinked and stared, confused, at Hallath, sitting up and opening his eyes, "You're alive! Thank God! I….you….YAY! I think I'm going crazy, but you did scare me half to death. Are you okay?" I finally finished my crazy ranting and looked him over.

"Yes," he answered, sitting up all the way, "What happened? Did you get the horse?"

"You were kicked, and yes, I got the horse." I answered and looked up at the grazing horse, noticing that it was close to sunset, "We should go, I don't want to meet up with a band of orcs. C'mon!" I got up and went to the horse, Hallath and Beinion following. It raised its head and I mounted it, helping Beinion and Hallath on after me.

We made our way down the next rise and started toward the mountain they told me was Edoras. I held Beinion on in front of me, fearing that he would fall, and Hallath sat behind me, holding on with all the strength he could muster. I started the horse at a fast pace and for the first time in a while, felt the freedom you can only feel on the back of a horse. Suddenly, I felt Hallath whisper in my ear, "Something's after us."

I inhaled a long, shaky breath and looked behind us. Sure enough, I could make out four riders approaching from behind, making a half moon shape. We were being followed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Don't you just love cliffhangers? Sorry I made it so short; I was at a summer camp all week. Snore! OOOOO Sorry, I'm really hyper (bounces in chair) I just had a full bag of skittles and two sodas. Don't tell mommy. Anywho, I'll try to update soon, and I'm also writing another story, which you should read, if you want, and I'm going to a wedding. I should stop writing before I bore you all to tears. Please, please, please read and review! (Gets down on hands and knees) Okay, thank you all, oh yes, and have a nice day, or night, or afternoon. Again, don't mind my hyperness, please R&R:)


	5. Theodred

**Chapter 5: Theodred**

Beinion had been steadily crying and I put my arm around his waist to comfort him, and to keep him from falling off the horse. He sniffled and I felt his little hand grip mine. I had become so much of a mother to these two boys during our journey that I had somehow become attached to them. And God only knows that I felt like their mother and protector. Me, the girl who could barely make it through Pre-Algebra was going through something even the bravest of men back home had only dreamed of.

"Maddy," whispered Hallath softly, interrupting my thoughts, "They're gaining on us!" I nodded my head and nudged the horse forward. Hallath's grip tightened around my waist as we began to go faster and the going bumpier. I looked behind us and my heart sank as I noticed that three more riders had joined the others and their pace was quickening. I leaned forward and closed my eyes. Hallath and Beinion trusted me to get them through this, and I was going to.

"Trust me," I whispered and urged the horse forward with all of my might. We were launched forward as Brego began running faster than I had thought possible. He glided easily over the ground with grace and I was overcome with Déjà vu as the feel of racing crept back into my very bones. I looked back again and sighed with relief as I noticed that the riders were falling behind; all except for one. The rider pressed forward, his horse neighing wildly. I turned back to look forward and guide the horse, but noticed with dread that Brego had no intention of letting me lead him. Suddenly, I felt a strong grip on my hair and screamed as I was lifted off my horse and thrown to the ground.

"Hallath! Go!" I cried, sobbing with pain and sorrow for I knew that Hallath was not a strong enough rider to outrun the horsemen. I lay down, sobbing, and didn't even notice when I was picked up and laid down on my back.

When I finally opened my eyes it was morning and I sat up, feeling the warmth of a dying fire to my left. I looked around and gasped as I found that I was in a camp, and worse than that, it was filled with men. I stood and began to creep away, silently avoiding the sleeping figures, spewed out on the ground. Breathing scarcely, I made my way out of the camp and began to walk faster, trying to ignore the pounding pain in my head.

"Leaving so soon?" I stopped dead as the man spoke, and cringed when he laughed.

"Let me go." I said flatly, trying to control the shaking it my voice.

"Why?" He asked, and I turned to look at him. He was tall and fairly handsome with sandy hair and broad shoulders. He smiled halfway and folded his arms.

"Listen you pigheaded brute, I have no intention of staying with you…you…worthless ugly cruel men. Kill me if you like, but I will not come with you willingly." I said angrily through clenched teeth and he laughed.

"I know," he answered, "I've never seen a woman ride so well, and with two children!"

"Where are they?" I demanded and he shook his head.

"I can't show you to them. Don't worry, they are safe and unharmed, but they will be harmed if you don't come with me and my company back to Rohan." I gaped at him as he spoke, thoroughly shocked.

"You…you…you're Theodred, aren't you?" I asked, shocked, and he nodded. I laughed and he smiled watching me.

"Oh my God! We were like so stupid! I mean, we were running because we thought you were orcs or something like that! Can you believe I actually thought for one moment that you guys were Ring Wraiths? I am so stupid! You.. you're not bad. I mean you kinda did start chasing us for no apparent reason and…oh, I'm babbling, aren't I?" I talked so quickly that when I had finished, my breathing was hard and quick and Theodred was almost helpless with laughter.

"Of course," he said, "But for now, let's head back to camp, okay? And don't worry, once we get to Rohan, you'll be perfectly safe. Eowyn's been longing for the company of another woman, and I'm sure she'll find you quite interesting. After all," he smiled at me, "I've never seen a woman ride so fast and gracefully as you. Where did you learn?" We entered into a long conversation about horses and I found out that Brego was indeed his escaped horse, and he was shocked that I knew that Brego was the horse's name. About three hours later we were packed up and fixing to leave. I walked around the group, looking for Brego. I found Theodred saddling him and when I approached he mounted and offered his hand down to me.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "You got up and now you need help getting down?" He laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me up roughly behind him.

"There was one less horse. You're riding with me." He said and urged Brego forward. I sighed and held on tightly to his waist, I had already fallen off a horse once and had no intention of repeating that experience.

We had been riding for what seemed like hours before Theodred finally said, "Look, over that rise is Edoras." And then, waving his hand so quickly that I lost my balance and almost fell off, yelled back to the riders behind him, "Home, at last!"

Author's Note: I hope you liked it, and please, please, please read and review. I'm sorry I took so long to update it and I hope the next chapter won't be so late in coming. Anywho, please R&R(I always appreciate your reviews) and I'll try to update soon.:)


	6. A New Home

**Chapter 6: A New Home**

I had longed all that day to get to Edoras, but when we finally entered the gates, I felt a sudden dread enter my heart as I watched the villagers stand and stare at us, their eyes bitter and their bodies unmoving from the ground on which they stood. They were silent and you could tell by the way that they glared at us that these were no times of happiness for this once majestic city. There was no sound, save the heavy footfalls of the worn out horses and the swiftly falling rain that pelted my face with ice cold fury. The wind rustled Theodred's hair and flung it back at me. I swept it away with my hand and turned my face to the side, tired of being whipped by his tangled and badly taken care of hair. I sighed deeply and shivered as the wind sent a huge and unexpected blast that almost threw me from the horse. I wanted so much to sleep and eat good food. Not the stale bread that I had been forced to eat out of starvation.

"Maddy," whispered Theodred as we stopped at a stone staircase and he slowly dismounted, "This is the Hall of Edoras. I advise not to speak with my father, he is…not well. Do you need help?" I nodded and he gently pulled me off the horse and set me on my feet.

"Thanks," I said and yawned. He started up the stairs and I gingerly followed. _If only I had a cane, _I thought and then accidentally laughed out loud as I realized how funny I'd look walking up the stairs with a cane. Theodred turned and looked at me questioningly.

"What have you found so humorous?" he asked and looked back at me.

"Nothing," I answered quickly and then after a pause added, "I was just thinking how funny it would be if you were watching me instead of where you were going and tripped over the third to last step and fell flat on your face." He turned around so quickly that he did trip on the third to last step and fell. I gasped and rushed to help him up, holding back laughter. He stood up and stared at me, his face showing pure confusion.

"How did you do that?" he asked and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I didn't," I answered, grinning, "You did it yourself." He sighed and turned, walking carefully up the last two steps and through the large doors into a great hall. I followed him closely, eyeing the guards as we passed into this new building.

"Theodred!" exclaimed a voice from behind us and I turned to see a fair-haired woman rushing from the door, "You're back!" she threw herself into Theodred's arms and then stood back to look at me.

"Eowyn, this is Maddy. We found her and two young boys on the rim of Fangorn. Maddy will stay here, with you, and," he paused and laughed, "I'm sure you'll find her very interesting company."

"Well," said Eowyn, "You certainly will not stay in those clothes while you stay here. Come, dear, let's find you a nice dress. I'm sure one of my old dresses will fit you perfectly…" I tuned out her voice and looked back. Theodred was still standing there, and he smiled at me when I looked back at him. I smiled back and then turned towards Eowyn, who apparently hadn't noticed that I wasn't paying attention and kept on talking. We soon entered a large bedroom with nicely decorated walls and a cozy-looking bed. I walked in behind Eowyn and sat on the edge of the bed as she walked over to a large trunk began sorted through various fabrics and dresses.

"Here it is!" she said suddenly and pulled out a beautiful, deep red dress. I gasped when I saw it; it was just like those Gwenwyfar would wear during the King Arthur times.

"Oh, it's…it's…it's pretty, but you really don't expect me to wear that do you?" I asked, eyeing the dress. If there was one thing that I resented more than high heels, it was dresses. I just felt so awkward wearing them.

"Of course you are to wear it!" she exclaimed, handing it to me, "I wouldn't dream of letting you go about the Hall wearing…wearing…well whatever it is you're wearing." After about six minutes of senseless arguing, I finally gave in and put on the dress. She smiled and held my hand in hers.

"You look beautiful! Oh, I haven't worn this since I was fifteen, but it does fit you quite well." She said, smiling the whole time, "Oh, you must be hungry! We're to dine tonight with the men. We'll be having stew and-"

"Umm…I'll just have some bread. I…I…I'm not used to your type of food." I stuttered. She nodded and stood up.

"We should be heading to the Dining Hall anyway, and I'm sure you'll change your mind later." I smiled and followed into a large and decorated room with many tables lining it. When we entered, a large group of men that had been talking in hushed voices turned to us and motioned for us to come and sit. I followed Eowyn to the outer rim and we both sat down.

Well, all I can say about the meal and conversations is that it was the most boring event of my life! At the end of the three hours we were there in the Dining Hall I politely excused myself and walked out onto the deck right outside of the doors I had first entered from. The guards didn't even move as I walked around them, and had the sudden impulse to say something to them, or perhaps poke them….Well, I didn't.

"Damn fate!" I said under my breath and sat down on the cold stone floor, looking over into the sunset. Its rays cheered me up a little and the cool breeze was very nice, and welcome.

"Why did you leave?" asked a voice, and I turned to see Theodred walk up and sit beside me.

"No particular reason," I answered flatly. He was smiling again, watching me.

"I doubt that." He said and I turned to him.

"Why? Is it wrong for someone to not want to sit in a large room watching drunken men sing and talk like idiots? Am I supposed to just sit and…and do nothing? Honestly, you people have no sense of fun…or table manners for that manner." I said ferociously and sighed angrily, averting my eyes from him.

"No, I do suppose you were right to want to leave, but do you think Eowyn is any less bored than you? She wanted to talk to you and sit with you tonight. It has been too long since she has had the opportunity to share the evening meal gossip with another woman." There he went again, proving me wrong. I hated being wrong, and more than that I hated feeling guilty. He was right, though, Eowyn was just as bored and anxious as I was during the meal, and I had no sense of feelings what so ever to just leave her like that. I looked down at the village below us, wishing that Theodred would just go away.

"You're right," I finally said, defeated, "I'll go back and sit politely like a young woman should, and be bored to tears while you men drink your good health away. And I do not appreciate this whatsoever." He nodded and laughed, helping me up to my feet.

"And, Maddy," he said as I began to walk away, "Whether you want to believe it or not, this is your new home. Good night." I would have argued further, but when I turned back, he was already through the doors and more than likely back in the Dining Hall.

"Settle in," I mumbled, walking down another hallway to the room Eowyn had said was mine, reaching it and stepping inside. That was the last thing I wanted. I closed the door and walked over to the bed. Awaiting on top of it was a nightgown. I picked it up and chucked it into a corner, putting on a T-shirt and shorts from my backpack instead. I crawled into the covers and curled up, trying to rid my body of the cold temperature of the room, and dreading morning. Theodred was right; this was my new home, and whether or not I wanted to believe it, I was probably stuck here for good.

"Home, sweet, home," I mumbled softly as a single tear slid down my cheek, and closed my eyes humming to the tune of "Once Upon a December" from Anastasia.

Author's Note: I hope you like it! Oh, and please, please, please read and review! Oh, and for those of you who I confused in chapter 4, you know about the not riding in six years thing, well, I fixed it, and I hope you weren't too baffled(lol) and I'm very sorry about that. Well, I've got to go, and I'll try to update soon, I'm just kind of busy at the moment. Oh, and thank you guys for your reviews!


	7. GoodBye

**Chapter 7: Good-Bye**

Mornings were my least Favorite part of this new life that I had been thrown into and kept captive in. For every morning that I opened my eyes and found the hard, cold stone walls surrounding me, and the uncomfortable bed below me, was like a nightmare being lived over, and over again. I would haul myself out of bed and change into another one of those beautiful, yet annoying dresses, then head out into the Great Hall. But the thing that scared me the most was the fact that I began to remember less and less of my old life every day. People's names and the people themselves seemed like a distant, faded memory, tormenting my mind. I even found, one rainy and cold morning, that I couldn't remember my own mother's name.

"Theodred," I said softly, coming up behind him, "I can't remember her name." Tears welled up in my eyes and I had trouble breathing in the harsh, cold air that swirled around me in large gusts of ferocious power. The hem of my dress was swept up above my ankles and a sharp tingle went up through my legs as the icy wind met my skin.

"Maddy," he answered, not turning, "I cannot help you. Your memory is fading, and I cannot stop it." He turned to me then, and I could see sadness in his eyes, and his mouth was pulled into a tight frown. I gave him a questioning look and he looked down at the ground, his voice, soft and calm.

"I must leave," He said finally, raising his head, "Orcs have now swarmed all over Rohan and my people are no longer safe. I must ride out with my men and defend my people as best as I can. My cousin will also be leaving, taking a separate troop with him. You do remember Eowyn's brother, do you not?" I nodded, a know welling up in my throat. "Good," he continued, turning again to look out onto the surrounding hills, "Then I leave you here with Eowyn. I'm afraid the Hall will be fairly empty, so there will be no more feasting, which I'm sure you're happy to hear, and neither you, nor Eowyn will leave the city, understood?"

"You sound like my father." I answered, unmoving.

"Maddy, this isn't the time-"

"What do you mean? Do you think that I am not as worried as you? Believe me, I understand perfectly well what you're trying to say. You're going to leave to fend off the orcs. You're going to leave me here to like die of boredom! Theodred, please!"

"Maddy, I have made my decision. I'm sorry. This is my land!" he said desperately, motioning out over the hills with his hands, "I have to defend it! And with my father….with my father not well I am the one my people depend on! I have to go, Maddy, if you'd just listen!"

"You're the one that doesn't understand! When I was six, my father left for work one morning saying , 'I can't play with you, I have to go', That same afternoon, he was shot to death by a drug dealer in the middle of a gas station! He left me and my mom all alone! I just…I just don't want it to happen again!" Tears were pouring out of my eyes now, and my hair had blown way out of proportion.

"Maddy…"

"No, go on your stupid quest. See if I give a damn. I'll stay here, fine, and so will Eowyn I can assure you. Just don't expect me to welcome you with open arms if you do ever come back!" I turned and stormed into the Great Hall, turning down a long hallway that led to Eowyn's chambers. I found her sitting on top of a large chest, sewing a piece of dark blue fabric.

"Maddy!" she exclaimed, standing up, "I didn't think you'd be awake yet. What's wrong?"

"Theodred is leaving," I said, my voice was harsh and low, "So is your brother."

She nodded sadly and turned back to her sewing, sitting back down on the bench.

"Yes, I know." And with that, I spun around and left the room, fresh tears breaking out and sliding down my face. I could hear Eowyn calling after me, but I kept going. No one could even begin to understand what I was going through.

Three weeks after Theodred had departed, I sat in the Great Hall with Beinion on a long bench. He had a piece of parchment laying in front of him on the table, and a pencil I had found in my backpack in his hand. He stared down at the paper determinedly, studying every inch of it.

"Maddy?" he asked, his voice sounding frustrated, "I don't know where to start!"

"Hmm…" I said, taking the pencil from him and drawing a circle in the middle of the page, "Let's put the head here…you see where I put the circle? Now put two triangles on the top of the head like this, and another circle in the middle of the first circle." He complied and looked up at me, silently asking for reassurance.

"You're doing great!" I said, and he beamed at me. "Okay, now you've drawn the ears, the head, and the nose. Let's give it some eyes. There, like that, on either side of the nose, but a little higher, there you go! Now, let's give it some fur. Make the edges shaggy. Good, like that, and do you want it to be a lion, or a tiger?"

"A lion!" he said happily, showing his teeth and growling.

"Good choice," I said and added a long shaggy mane around the lion's face in the middle of the paper, "Now all you need to do is write your name here at the bottom of the page, like we practiced yesterday."

"Can I go get my parchment with my name written on it to look at?" He asked and I nodded. He hurriedly got off the bench and ran out of the room as fast as he could. I sighed and looked down at the picture, smiling at how much he'd learned.

"Smart boy, isn't he?" Said a snake-like voice and I turned to see Wrima Wormtongue standing about seven feet away from me.

"What brings you here?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Don't be hostile, now. I just came to ask you a favor."

"Well then ask it, Worm, before I lose my patience."

"I only ask that you would let me teach the other boy. Hallath, is that his name?"

"I wouldn't let you hand him a piece of parchment, much less teach him anything!"

"Why, you are not his mother."

"I'm the only mother figure he has! And for your information, he's been getting lessons from Triory, the stable hand. He can already write as good as any twelve year-old boy should!" Wrima laughed and folded his arms.

"You are very insensible, woman." He said and stared at me.

"Leave," I said, gritting my teeth, "And we will not be having this discussion again!" He turned and exited the room. I sat down on the bench again and rested my head in my hands, breathing hard.

"Maddy?" asked a small voice from my side, "I found it."

"Good." I sat and picked him up and set him on the bench next to me. "Let's finish this, shall we?" He picked up the pencil and began to write his name on the page, right below the lion face. I watched him write it, his hand moving uncertainly, holding the pencil with a shaky hand. When he finished, he held it up for me to see and I clapped for him and smiled.

"Great job! Tomorrow we can draw a horse, okay?" I said.

"Okay," he agreed, "But can I go show it to Eowyn? Please?"

"Go ahead." I said and he skipped out of the room happily. I gathered up the rest of the parchment and stuffed it into my backpack along with the pencil and a large white eraser. I swung it over my shoulder and headed to my room. Once in my room, I put my backpack by my bed and then opened the large chest at the foot of my bed and took out a long black hooded cloak from the bottom of the chest. I put it around my shoulders and headed out of my room. I was careful not to meet anyone in the hallway, and soon I was outside and heading down the large stone stairs. I pulled the hood over my head and walked quickly down the grassy slope and turned left into the stables.

I walked down the row of stalls towards the large barn at the other end. It was quiet in the stalls, since only twenty horses were left and through the walls you could hear the wind raging outside. I breathed in the horse-scented air and walked a little faster. At the fourth-to-last empty stall I heard sniffling and walked by, nothing quite registering in my brain. Suddenly, I realized that someone was crying in the stall and turned sharply to go back, but ended up smashing face fist into a large wooden beam, falling backwards onto my butt.

"Oh, shit! That hurt! UGH! Why do these things always happen to me?" I stood up and walked into the stall, wincing at the pain in my forhead.

"Who's there?" came a little voice from the far end of the stall.

"Hallath?" I asked, suddenly recognizing his voice.

"Maddy?" He asked, sounding just as bewildered as I was. I saw him lift his head and stare at me through tear-streaked eyes. I came over and sat down beside him.

"What's wrong?" I asked, putting my arm around his shoulders.

"Nothing." He said stubbornly.

"Sure," I said back, "then why are you sitting alone in an abandoned horse stall, crying?"

"Because…you'll laugh!" He said and pulled away from me.

"Hallath, I will not laugh, I promise."

"Cross you heart?"

"Cross my heart."

"I miss my mom and dad. I mean, you're great and all, but you can't replace them. I just…I want them back!" New tears burst fresh from his eyes and I hugged him close, rocking him gently.

"I miss mine, too. The only difference is, you can remember your mothers name."

"So," he said, hiccupping, "That won't bring her back!"

"I know, but you have to move past this. I thought you had gotten over your grief a long time ago." He looked up at me, and I immediately wished I could take back those words, just realizing how mean they had sounded.

"Beinion did, I didn't! Beinion likes you as his mom, he's already forgotten how Mother used to hold him in her arms and sing him to sleep! Or how Papa used to take us both riding! It's like he doesn't care about them anymore!"

"Hallath," I said, hurt from his words, "I'm not trying to replace your mom and dad," I paused, unsure of my own feelings. There were so many things I needed to tell him, yet so little could I think of at this moment.

"I guess I just wanted to be close to you guys because I knew you knew how I felt. I've lost every person I ever cared about, except you and Beinion. You can't imagine how much you both mean to me. I have only you two now that Theodred's gone….and Eowyn and I have almost nothing in common. You guys are like my little brothers, and I'll always be here for you." I finished and breathed in deeply, feeling tears tugging at my own eyes.

"Really?" he asked, and I looked into his eyes, "I want you to be my big sister…don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, just…I don't know."

"Sad?"

"Yeah. I miss my home so much," tears poured from my eyes now, and my breathing came in rasps, "I don't know why I'm here! It's like I'm being punished or something!"

"There's a reason," He said, wiping his nose on his sleeve, "there's always a reason."

"I just wish I could go home!" I said with difficulty, and tried to wipe the tears off my face with my hand.

"Don't go! Maddy don't go, please!" cried out a little voice and Beinion came running from the door of the stall and into my arms. "I don't want you to leave us too!"

"Maddy, please stay?" asked Beinion, who hugged me too.

"I'm not going anywhere." I said, wrapping them both in my arms and, with the storm raging outside, we all cried there together, in that abandoned stall, and didn't go back till the sun had set, and the stable hands had left for the night. In my heart, I didn't want to leave. Not now when these two boys needed me so much. And, in the back of mind, a little voice told me that I wouldn't be going home anytime soon, anyway.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I hope you guys liked it! Oh, and I am so sorry for not updating sooner, and if you must, blame it on my stupid computer. I pray that you won't have to wait so long for the next chapter. Bye-Bye for now!

Please, Please, Please Read and Review! Oh, and I now accept anonymous reviews!


	8. Stuck in the Dark

**Chapter 8: Stuck in the Dark**

A gray mist hung over Rohan, never leaving and always hovering over the weary people as they walked along the almost deserted streets. I had resorted to wandering around the stables during the long, dreary days that followed Theodred's departure, and even though visiting the horses and ponies gave me some comfort in mind, there was still a tiny piece that would always be missing. I often took Beinion with me and showed him how to ride and treat horses. He absolutely loved it and would wake me up every morning excited to head out to the stables. On this particular morning, though, the mist seemed to be thicker than usual and the air more damp and heavy. I opened my eyes to a dark lit room and a dreary feeling that wouldn't go away.

"Maddy?" asked a small voice. I sat up and spied Beinion standing in the doorway, his face held a mixture of worry and fear on it.

"What's wrong?" I asked, getting up and walking over to him. He jumped into my arms and buried his head in my shoulder.

"I had a bad dream." He said, sniffling a little bit.

"Do you want to tell me what it was about?" I asked, sitting him beside me on the bed, a sudden feeling of dread creeping its way slowly into my bones.

"I had a dream that Theodred died! And a wizard came to save the King." He said, a little too calmly. I hugged him and smiled reassuringly.

"We all have bad dreams once in a while," I said, "Theodred is fine." But in the back of my mind a little voice whispered over and over again the exact opposite of what I wanted myself to believe. Nonetheless, I sent Beinion off to eat breakfast and dressed myself in the dark brown dress I had shoved to the bottom of my clothes chest. It was a bit wrinkled, but it worked just fine. I put my dark green cloak on over it and silently crept down the hall and escaped from the Great Hall unnoticed.

"Four stalls down, two to the left, and over five." I repeated over and over to myself, remembering the exact location of the stall where I had hidden my stolen sword, dagger, sheath, and riding boots that I had collected from around the stables in various places. I hurried to it and when I finally reached, closed the door behind and breathed in the musty air shakily.

"You chose to do this." I said to myself, fitting on the belt and sheath, and pulling out the beautifully made sword, feeling the blade with my hand. "So be it." I put the dagger in the side of my boot where there was a small pouch intended for a small dagger or knife. I put my cloak on over my entire ensemble and walked down the hallway of stalls to where there was a younger, dark brown stallion.

"Come on, boy, we're going for a ride." I told him soothingly, leading him out of the stables and into the crisp, dreary air. Once in the open, I mounted him and sped out of the city at top speed, the hood of my cloak whipping off my head and flowing behind me along with my uncombed, unruly hair. After riding at top speed for about an hour, I slowed the horse down to a fast trot and continued along my way towards the tall trees I saw in the distance, a forbidding feeling ever-present in the pit of my stomach.

Night fell fast. The shadows pulled in all around me, and I felt a strange dread creeping up into my muscles, making me twitch at the snap of a twig, or the sudden hoot of an owl. I stopped the horse when we had reached the woods and jumped off of him. I led him by the reins into the woods and slowly navigated my way through the strange trees, a small whispering sensation ringing in my ears. Suddenly, the horse reared and kicked me down. All I felt was a sharp pain in my forehead, and smiled as the dark sky above me fell swiftly up.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"What should we do with it?"

"What da yer think? We're goin' ter eat it."

"Hmm…Roast or raw?"

"Roast, since we've got this nice, toasty fire goin' an' all."

"Yes, roast it we will."

I slowly opened my eyes, terrified at the bit of conversation I had just heard from above. The two evil voices that somehow had shook me from my pitch black, forced sleep.

"Look, Brint! It's awake!" Said the first evil voice, which I could now see belonged to a large, gray-skinned troll with a nose piercing and one eye missing. The other, his skin more of a dark yellow color, nodded and reached towards me. I instinctively reached for my sword, only to find that it, along with the entire belt and sheath had been removed. I gasped when I couldn't find it and hurriedly pushed myself back along the ground and away from the troll's outstretched hand.

"What's yer name?" Asked the second one, chuckling a bit.

"Give me yours first." I answered, gritting my teeth at the sudden pain I felt in my forehead. The trolls laughed at me, their laughter booming all around me.

"I'm Brint and this 'ere's Cran." Said the second one, focusing back on me.

"And who be you, young lass, and what're you doin' in these parts?" I tried hard to recoil my breathing and calm down, but failed.

"M-Maddy," I said after a long pause, "I was looking for a friend." They grinned at each other and it was then that I looked over to the fire and saw a large skeleton sprawled out on the ground. It was the horse. I gulped back tears that suddenly bit at my eyes and forced myself to take control and stay as calm as I could.

"Lookin' fer a friend, eh? Ya hear that, Brint, she was lookin' for a friend."Said Cran, grinning at his horrible companion.

"Yeah, Cran, maybe it was that horse we 'ad for dinner." Continued Brint, and they both burst into the horrible laughter. I smiled suddenly, remembering all the things I read about trolls. Mentally, an ingenious plan formed itself in my mind.

"Yes, woe is me for being stuck in such a pitiful fate. Just eat me, would you! And stop this mind-toying!"

"Brint! We've an interesting one 'ere, we do! Lister to 'er!" Cried Cran, his voice filled with the aftermath of severe drinking.

"Yes, interesting am I." I answered, feeling my boot to see if the knife was still there. It was, and mentally I sighed with relief.

"Before we eat 'er, do ya think we could have 'er tell a story?" asked Brint, chuckling softly.

"Yeah, lass, tell us a story." Agreed Cran, eyeing me warily.

"Alright, then," I said, clearing my throat, "What kind of a story?"

"An elvish one." Said Brint eagerly.

"Blimey, Brint, you Booby! She ain't no elf! Look at 'er, she's jus' a little ol' dish maid!"

"I am not a dish maid!" I retorted angrily, I mean, it was bad enough that I was about to be eaten, but I didn't want to die with them thinking I was a dishmaid. Geesh!

"What're ya then? A worrior?" Asked Cran, beginning to laugh.

"Suppose I am! What would you think of that?" I asked, my cheels flushing with anger.

"We'd ask you why such a galliant warrior was wearin' no armor." Cran shot back, watching me with a humorous expression on his face.

"Then I'd tell you that a real warrior of my kind needs no armor or sword at all…just their mind." I said, a grin forming on my tired face.

"We'd laugh at you." Said Cran, grinning evily back at me.

"I'll bet you anything that every war has been a battle of mental power and not of strength." I teased; mentally noting that by this time dawn would be on its way…just a little more procrastinating.

"I'll bet you're lyin'!" Brint shouted angrily, "Whoever heard a such a thing as that?"

"I have!" I yelled back, standing up and clenching my fists. "How do you think the different sides came up with the different techniques of fighting? By planning ahead and not just rushing into battle! There were brilliant minds behind every trick and scheme even you have ever played! Do you still think I lie?" They were both silent, and after a long pause, Cran smiled broadly and scratched the enormous wart on his chin.

"This one is interestin'." He said after a while, "I think we should keep 'er-at least until she runs out of interestin' things to say. What do ya think? Eh, Brint?"

"Aye, she 'tis interestin', but annoying nonetheless. Who'd want to keep an' annoying, pesky li'l thing like 'er?" Brint answered.

"I do!" Shouted Cran, "Besides, she's a hell of a lot more interestin' than you!"

"Maybe she is! Well I still say we should roast 'er!" Brint shouted back. All the while they were arguing, I slipped away to the place where my sword lay and picked it up hastily, not noticing that the trolls behind me had gone silent. There was short laughter from behind me and I screamed and dropped my sword as Cran lifted me off the ground by my waist.

"Maybe you're right, Brint. We wouldn' wan' 'er to slit our throats while we was sleepin', now would we." Said Cran, laughing wickedly, "Whadda ya say we cook 'er right now?"

"Yes, let's cook 'er!" Agreed Brint, "I'm mighty hungry!" I tried desperately to think of something to say and only panicked more as Cran brought me towards the fire. I reached down to my ankle and pulled at the dagger. It wouldn't budge. I yanked and yanked, but it seemed to be jammed or something.

"Wait!" I shouted desperately, "Are you sure you want to cook a-a-a great sorceress?" Cran stopped short and began whooping with laughter. Brint joined in and stood beside Cran, an overly large butcher knife in his hand.

"A great sorceress? An' what' kind of a sorceress would ya be, lass?" Cran asked, still recovering from his laughter.

"A sorceress powerful enough to defeat the both of you!" I yelled back at him, wrenching at my mind for something to say to buy more time.

"Oh, really?" Asked Cran, starting top laugh again.

"Really!" I yelled, yanking one more time at the dagger. It came free and I swung it around and stabbed it into Cran's hand. He yelped in pain and dropped me to the ground. I hit the ground and rolled out of the way as Brint's mighty knife came crashing down where my head had been only seconds before.

"Damn you, vermon!" He screamed, whirling around to follow me. I turned back and aimed, throwing my knife as hard as I could at his face. It hit him directly in the eye and he dropped his knife in pain.

"Cran! Cran! She's gone an' blinded me! Help!" Screamed Brint. Grabbing at his bleeding eye. Cran looked at his friend and then turned to me.

"You'll pay, lass!" He yelled, jumping at me. I screamed and ducked as his mighty fist came crashing down beside me. The earth shook beneath his punch and I was thrown off balance and rolled down the hill towards the flames. He followed, though, and trapped me with a burning wall of fire behind me and his giant shape in front of me.

"You'll pay, lass!" He yelled, raising his fist with the butcher knife in his hand. He moved as if to bring it down and then stopped as a brilliant light shown over the trees. He growled and I watched in horror as his entire body turned into a large gray, stone statue of the troll that had been there seconds before. I stood up slowly and walked around his lifeless form and spotted Brint off on the other side of the clearing, his hands still clutching his wounded eye.

"Yup, I really paid this time." I said sarcastically to myself, chuckling a little as I picked up my sword sheath and buckled it around my waist. I picked up the sword from the place where I had dropped it and sighed defeatedly as I noticed that the blade had been broken at the top, leaving a jagged, but still pointed edge where the point had once been. Along the ground where I had found the sword, I also found the broken shards of the sword, and put it into the sheath along with the sword. I stood and surveyed the scene around me. The dawn had sent a small grey light through the clearing, slightly illuminating the stone figures of Brint and Cran, and what was left of their belongings. I sorted through them and found some bread, but nothing else worth eating. Still hungry, I made my way out of the clearing and into the deeper woods where little of the rising sun could shine into. It was a pretty hard going, seeing as there was no one to talk to and in these situations I usually resorted to talking to myself.

"Why did you come out of here anyway?" I asked myself, thouroughly grumpy from the lack of sleep. "I mean, what did you think you were going to find? You can't stop things from…happening…" I swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears that were biting at my eyes. Distant memories started flooding back.

_Flashback_

_The smell of the hospital was clean…too clean. I sat awkwardly in the big, cushiony grey chair in the waiting room, my hands folded in my lap and my hair strung about messily in my face. The nurse at the counter across the room would look over at me every now and again, pausing from her magazine to study me. I would sometimes raise my head and stare back, and she would smile at me, but I never had the strength to smile back at her._

_"Do you want some coffee?" She asked, walking over and sitting beside me. I shook my head._

_"I'm not allowed." I said quietly, tears forming at my eyes. She nodded and stood up. _

_"Cheer up." She said, and walked away down the hall. I waited in the quiet, clean-smelling room for what seemed like hours before a tall surgeon entered the room and strode towards me. I stood up and looked at expectantly._

_"I'm so sorry." He said, removing his mask and revealing a clean-shaven chin, "There was no way we could have saved him…" But his voice was drowned from my ears. All that mattered now was that my father…my world was dead. Just like that…_

_End Flashback_

"This isn't happening." I said aloud to myself, swallowing back tears, forcing myself forward.

"What isn't happening?" asked a voice and I stopped dead in my tracks. This wasn't good.

**Author's Note: I finally updated! Whoo-hoo! Aren't you proud? Lol. Anywho, I am so sorry that I didn't update sooner, but I had a severe case of writer's block and I finally got over it. Plus, I just got back from a backpacking trip to the Gila wilderness and I have like three major tests to study for. Don't you hate school? Lol. Well, I'll try to update soon. TTFN!**

**P.S.-If you want me to continue, please review. The number of reviews last chapter dropped my self-esteem to about twenty-percent. So, please review if you want more!**


	9. A Turn of Luck

**Chapter 9: A Turn of Luck**

_This isn't happening." I said aloud to myself, swallowing back tears, forcing myself forward._

_"What isn't happening?" asked a voice and I stopped dead in my tracks. This wasn't good_.

I looked around hurriedly through the surrounding trees. Nothing. Then where would this voice be coming from. Or was I going crazy?

"Who's there?" I asked, my voice cracking just a little bit. The voice began laughing, and it almost sounded as if it were coming from up above me.

"No one." It answered shortly, and began laughing hysterically. It was a small voice, kind of squeaky and definitely not another troll.

"You are definitely someone." I answered, frustration creeping into my body.

"Nope…just no one." Said the voice and something fell from the tree above me and hit me square in the forehead.

"OUCH! What the hell was that for!" I screamed to the tree tops.

"To see if you were solid." Giggled the voice again. I sighed in frustration. This wasn't going well.

"Please, just tell me who you are. I just escaped from two trolls and I really need to find a way out of here. Can you just tell me who-or what- you are?"

"Nope." It answered, flinging another object at me. Luckily, it bounced off my shoulder and fell to the ground. It was a small black stone, a little to round and smooth to be natural. I picked it up and held it in my left hand.

"Please?" I begged, getting a little annoyed. There was a sudden coughing noise from above me.

"Eldrin," It coughed out, "My name is Eldrin." I was instantly confused. Why hadn't it told me this earlier?

"Eldrin," I said slowly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! As if you'd care." It answered sharply.

"Well, now that I know your name, can you tell me what you are exactly?" I asked, wondering whether or not it would answer.

"A-a-a-"it paused and coughed, "a-a-a pixie." I was thoroughly shocked now. A pixie?

"Will you come down so that I can see you?" I asked after a long pause. There was another cough and then a loud crack followed by the snapping of branches and a small shape fell from the trees onto the ground in front of my feet.

"I've got to work on my landings." It said, looking up at me slowly. It had large black eyes and a small nose. It wore an old, brown, dress-like shirt and dark green trousers. It had extremely large feet and hands and overly large and pointed ears. It was almost cute.

"Yes, you do." I said, studying it intently, "Are you okay?" It nodded its head and stood up, brushing off the front of its shirt.

"So, now that we've actually met and you're not throwing stones at me…wanna help me find a way out of here?" I asked, sitting down in front of the pixie.

"It is not possible to deny…follow me." It said, almost sadly.

"Why is it impossible to deny?" I asked, confused.

"Because you have the stone." It said simply, "Now everything you ask, I must do. And I cannot lie."

"Oh," I said, shocked, "I didn't know…is this the stone?" I held out the black stone. The pixie nodded its head sadly. I nodded back, unable to think of something to say to the poor little creature in front of me.

"Show me the way out." I finally said, standing up. The little creature nodded and started off at a quick pace, with me at its heels. It did as it was told and led me straight out of the forest and into open air. It stopped and turned to look at me.

"Here's your stone." I said, holding it out to the pixie. It only shook its head.

"It must stay in your possession." It said simply "As long as you have it, I will be able to use my magic to help you through your trials. Do not drop it or I will not be able to help you."

"Thank you, Eldrin, and may you have a safe journey home." I said, and watched silently as it darted back into the forest and out of sight. I watched the trees for a while longer and then turned to look at the surrounding country. Well, I was right back where I had started, just this time, I didn't have a horse. Just my luck.

"Why?" I asked up to the sky, pouting. Off in the distance, thunder clouds drummed and the sky was turning an even darker grey than it had been before. I walked for what seemed like hours before I finally could see Edoras in the distance. Oh what a welcome sight it was! I pushed on dispite the chilling wind that had arisen and was sweeping through the valley and headed on blindly towards Edoras. It wasn't, however, before the storm had brought itself to its fullest and hit the open land with great fury. I hugged the cloak tightly around my shivering body, trying to preserve the tiny amount of body heat that remained.

"Too close…"I whispered, trying to see through the thick wall of my auburn hair that had been blown into my face. I could feel the rain pelting my un-responding body as I made my way over a high hill and tried to stable myself on the other side. It didn't work, though, and I toppled head first over the side and rolled down the hill-totally unaware of anything around me besides the piercing pain in my stomach.

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Thank you all who reviewed! I am sorry I had to cut this chapter there, but I'll try and update it as soon as I can this week. **

**The orange munch-munch!-** Thanks for reviewing, but first of all Maddy was just the name I picked out for my character, second she is in eighth grade NOT high school, third there is nothing wrong whatsoever with using the word _stated._ Did you even read past chapter 1? If you did, you would see that this is not a Mary-Sue and I never intended it to be a Mary-Sue. I'm sorry if this is mean, but I had to say something.

**Nasuada Moon: **Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter!

**Lady ElfDragon: **I'm glad you like it, and of course I'll keep going. Thanks for reviewing!

**Liz: **Thanks for reviewing and yes, you got her description down. Also, she has green eyes and auburn hair…just in case you needed a better picture. smirks

**Alenor Peredhel: **Nope, it wasn't bad. Thanks for reviewing and I'll update soon.

**Candy Quakenbush: **I really need to call you. Definitely. Anywho, thanks for reviewing and I will try to update within the next week.

**Hey, thank you all who reviewed! Please review and don't hesitate to point out any errors I may have made. Review if you want more!**


	10. Unexpected Guests

**Unexpected Guests**

I opened my eyes and looked around me. Wait…I was….back in Rohan? I sat up so fast that my vision blurred, and I got a sudden, but vicious headache. Rubbing my forehead, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and gently let myself down onto the cold floor. It was an icy cold, and it took effort on my part to keep from taking my feet back off the floor the instant that they touched its surface.

"Damn." I muttered as I stood on the floor and noticed a giant scar on my right arm. It was the oddest design I had ever seen, starting on the underside of my elbow and stopping short at my wrist, all the while keeping a jagged and zig-zaggy path down my arm. It was still raw and the skin around had turned a little blue. Actually, it was pretty gross, but I had seen worse.

I crossed the room to my trunk and opened it, surprised to find my clothes still inside of it, almost untouched. My plain dress, however, was gone, so I picked the next best which happened to be a darker blue with gold trimming and gold leaf patterns on the skirt. The sleeves started out bell-like, and then from the elbow down tightened into a clinging gold fabric. I thought it looked like something Guinevere from King Arthur times would have worn. I smoothed out the front of it and made my way down the hall to the Great Hall. On my way, though I heard whispered voices from a room on my left. They seemed sad, so I gingerly knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Came Eowyn's voice from the other side. She seemed distressed. I opened the door and rushed to where she stood, hovering over a bed.

"Maddy!" She said as I reached and hugged her. "Maddy, I…I don't know how…he's dead, Maddy, he's dead…" Her voice trailed off and I looked onto the bed. Theodred lied there, battered and obviously dead. I choked and kneeled down beside the bed, tears bursting from my eyes.

"Maddy," Eowyn whispered, kneeling down and putting an arm around my trembling shoulders, "I'm so sorry…" I nodded, unable to speak. It felt as if someone had taken something away from me, but I was unable to figure what exactly it was.

"He couldn't say anything but your name. That's all he could say, he kept saying he needed to tell you something, but you were unconscious so I couldn't…oh Maddy, you shouldn't have gone after him!" She said through her tears.

"I'm sorry! I-I-oh Eowyn! I didn't want this to happen!" I yelled; this was too much. I got up and ran from the room and just kept running blindly on until I finally had to stop. Amazingly, I found myself in the stables. I sat down on a pile of hay and buried my head in my hands. I wasn't crying anymore, but I felt as if my head would explode at any second.

"Maddy?" Asked a small voice from the entrance to the stables. It was Beinion.

"Yes?" I said, lifting my head and attempting to wipe away some of my tears with the back of my hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked, coming over and sitting on the hay beside me. I nodded.

"I'll be fine."

"I miss him too." He replied, hugging me and burying his head on my shoulder. I hugged him back.

"We'll make it through this together."

After about thirty minutes of just sitting there, we got up and went back inside. Beinion held my hand tightly as we entered the Great Hall and found-to our surprise-that all of the guards had been knocked to the ground and four figures stood in front of King Theodred and Eowyn. It was Legolas, Aragorn, Gimili, and Gandalf.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! Did you like it? Please tell me if you did, or didn't. And sorry, but I'm feeling too lazy to write replies to your reviews, but I do appreciate them. I'm sorry that I left it at a slight cliffy and that it's really, obscenely short, but I'll update ASAP! Review if you want more! **


	11. The Truth

**Chapter 11: The Truth**

I stared in disbelief at the group standing in front of me. All at once people were talking and introducing each other, but I just stood there with my mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Maddy! They've come to help." Eowyn said, gripping my arm and leading me forward. She stopped me in front of Gandalf. I stood there, silent, and he watched me. His expression was unchanging.

"Hello." I said softly. He nodded his head and smiled.

"It's good to see you again, Faelwen."

I stared at him, transfixed and completely confused. But somehow it seemed familiar, and just _right._

"I've been wanting to talk with you for a long time," he continued, "Might I talk with you alone for a moment?"

"Of course," I answered, following him out of the hall. We walked in silence down the large stone steps and started away from the Hall.

"Are you aware of whom you are?" He asked me once we were a good deal away from earshot.

"Not until you said my name—my real name, in the hall." I answered truthfully. He smiled.

"But that is barely an insignificant portion of your true identity." He said thoughtfully, "A name is only something that is given to a being to tell it apart easily from the beings around it. It's one thing that we all hope to keep our own. But we could do well-enough without names."

"We could, but sometimes even a name can tell you so much about a person." I answered. He eyed me as if considering what I had said.

"You're right." He answered, smiling, "But that is not why I brought you out here." I looked around and noticed that we had stopped not too far from the burial grounds.

"Why, then?" I asked.

"You are very special, Faelwen." He said, "And I have to admit that I never expected to see you here, or anywhere in Middle Earth for that matter."

"I came here by accident." I protested, quite confused by now.

"Well you had to come back sometime." He answered.

"What do you mean, 'come back'? I've never been here before—this place isn't supposed to be real." I said.

"Faelwen, you were a well-respected person here, but your knowledge turned you into a target for Sauron's forces. So Elrond and I sent you to that other world where we hoped that you'd be safe. But Sauron's many spies found you out and created a portal to send you back." When he finished I stood, considering what he had said. Then I imagined my English teacher in an orc suit with and axe and had to cough several times to cover up my laughter.

"Elrond had warned me of this," He continued, "but I hoped that you'd at least be safe until after the war of the ring."

"So the hole that I fell through was made by evil forces trying to get me back here?" I asked. He nodded.

"Then why didn't they kill me when I first arrived here?" I asked.

"They probably meant for you to be transported to Mordor, but something went wrong. For that, we have to be thankful." He paused and looked out over the landscape to the sunset.

"So I'm a—a queen here?" I asked uncertainly.

"No." He answered, "You're an elf, daughter of Galdriel." I considered my auburn hair and green eyes, then thought of the image of Galadriel.

"That's kind of hard to believe." I said. "I mean, elves have pointy ears and are graceful—I trip on practically everything insight."

"You _were _and elf." He answered. _Darn, _I thought. "But when we sent you to the other world, you entered through re-birth and became a human child. You will still have an unnaturally long life, but many powers you had before have been eliminated from what happened. I nodded.

"So this hole thing—this new world, is actually where I was born? I lived here. I belong here." The words tasted good on my lips, comforting me greatly.

"Yes." Gandalf answered.

"But what will I do now?" I asked, turning to face him.

"You will carry out your duty here, but I cannot tell you what will happen to you, for even my vision of the future is blurred. Fate must take control, now." He answered. We stood in silence before he finally spoke.

"Theodred will be buried tomorrow." He said. I looked up at him sadly and had to bite my lower lip to keep it from trembling.

"Yes, I suppose so." I said quietly, "but he shouldn't have died. I should've…I should've found him and saved him!" Tears formed quickly at the edges of my eyes.

"It wasn't mean to be." Gandalf said softly.

"I know it's silly to contradict what has already happened, but before he died I thought…never mind, it doesn't matter now." I said. He nodded.

"We should head back now." He said after about five minutes of silence. "The others will want an explanation."

"You're right." I said, turning and leading the way back into the Hall.

We did have quite a time explaining where we had been. And, of course, I had to be introduced to Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimili. They seemed nice, but I was fairly weary of the elf, he seemed a little too pompous for my liking. And then there was Théoden, who was really nice but quite tired, so he retired early to his quarters. I sat down next to Beinion at the dinner table.

"Maddy, I don't want to eat this!" He complained and spat the lump of meat onto his plate.

"Beinion, you have to." I said, "Come on, try to eat it."

"No, it's icky!" He said.

"But didn't you say you wanted to be like a tiger when you grow up?" I asked, a plot forming in my mind.

"Well, yeah…"

"Then you need to eat your food to become big and strong like a tiger."

"But…"

"You want to be like a tiger, right?"

He finally gave in and nodded.

"Then eat your food." I said finally.

"You're good with children." Aragorn said from across the table. I looked up at him.

"Quite a lot of experience…you know, babysitting and all that. Besides, children are such fun to be with anyway." I answered.

"They are," he agreed, and then added, "Are you a mother?"

"No!" I said hastily. "I have a little brother…and I've looked after Beinion and Hallath, but no, I'm not a mother myself."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said apologetically, "but you are very good with children."

"Thank you." I answered. There was a long, droned-on awkward silence that followed his words, and I realized that the events of the day were finally wearing off on me. I stood up.

"I think I'll retire, now." I said. They nodded and I exited the room. Just as I rounded the corner, though, I lost my footing and tripped, falling into an awkward position. I twisted my foot out from under me and sat up, noting that I had tripped on the edge of a statue. I stood up and was about to walk down the hall when I noticed something strange. Where I had fallen there was a little step, but it led straight into the wall. I grabbed a lit torch from the wall and studied the area around it. Yup, it was a stair alright, but I doubted that it was there just for decoration.

"Maddy?" I turned to see a slightly angered Théoden standing behind. "What are you doing here?"

There was definitely something weird about that stair.

**Author's Note; Hey readers! I'm sorry for the long wait, but I lacked inspiration for this for a long time. This probably isn't the best chapter I've ever written, but at least I updated. Anywho, thank for reading. If you guys have any advice about where I should take this story, please review and tell me because I want to continue this story, but I'm not sure how. Review and tell me what you think!**


	12. Of Secret Stairs and Nightmares

**CHAPTER 12: Of Secret Stairs and Nightmares**

Theoden looked at me sternly from behind the dim torch light. His eyes bore down upon me with an expression of almost fear.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded. I got up onto my feet and looked at him squarely in the eyes.

"I might ask you the same question, Theoden King." I answered. There was something fishy about this door, and I was going to find out what it was.

"You shouldn't be wandering through these halls at such late times." He answered.

"I was just heading to my quarters." I answered, dusting off the front of my dress, "but I don't think I'd be wrong in thinking there was some sort of explanation for why you are wandering through the halls. I thought you retired to your quarters hours ago." He glared at me and then his face relaxed into a sly smile.

"I came for water." He said simply. Liar, I thought.

He nodded his head slightly and then walked past me into the hall. But I remained in front of the stair. Something about his behavior struck me as odd, and I knew that it had something to do with the stair.

I waited until he had disappeared to turn my attention back to the small mysterious step. I made sure no one was looking and then kneeled down beside it and closely examined it. Well, there was no obvious things about it that made me suspicious, but after a closer look, I found to my surprise that the "wall" above it had a five-inch gap between it and the step itself. I was tempted to stick my hand under it, but after a small amount of common sense, I decided against it, and instead I stood up and felt around the wall for some sort of a switch or knob that might help to reveal more of this hidden staircase. I heard a sudden creak and hastily hid myself behind a nearby pillar.

Two obviously drunk men stumbled out into the hallway, laughing and singing. I held my breath when they passed by very slowly.

"Fredrick—" stuttered one of them drunkenly, "they been saying that---that girl. You remember her? She knows the wizard." They both laughed loudly and disappeared around the corner.

I rolled my eyes and slipped out from my hiding place. They were just like all men here; rude. I had never met them personally, but even from a distance I could tell that the one that spoke was Thed, one of the royal guards.

I turned my attention back to the stair.

"Think, Maddy!" I said to myself. "Think about all the Nancy Drew books you've read!" I stood back from the wall and put my hands on my hips. There to be some way to expose the rest of the stairs, or why else would there just randomly be a stair leading down to nothing? It didn't make sense.

Half on impulse, I felt my way along the wall beside the stair, looking for some kind of a lever or loose stone.

I gave up after an hour of searching.

"Damn." I muttered angrily to myself. Frustrated, I leaned dejectedly against the pillar I had hid behind earlier,

_Creak_

I flew back onto my feet in an instant and stared fixedly on the pillar. It had twisted in a complete circle, revealing a lighter colored section in its wood. I looked at it closely…no, that couldn't be…a hinge? I placed my hand on the small space near the middle of the pillar and felt around. Suddenly, there was a small popping sound and a small portion of the wood swung open to reveal a lever inside.

I pulled it forward.

Little did I know that the small action would lead one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

I looked over at the stair as the wall began to move back, revealing several more steps. The wall stopped and I saw what would be the first of many landings in that staircase. The stone was cold and bluish gray, and looked neglected. Over all, it didn't look the least bit inviting.

But bold little me…nothing could stop me. I was determined, and that was that. No one stops Maddy Lunderburg when she puts her mind to something.

People had always told me that I was brave; bold enough to accomplish anything I wanted. Not one time before in my life had I thought that these qualities would bring me so close to the arms of death, and lead me away from all of my sense and instinct. That night would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I walked down the stairs slowly, a small lump of regret forming in my throat. I was only on the third step, but already I felt tired, as if a thousand pounds were pushing on every inch of my body. The air was already thick, and a musty, dead smell pierced my nostrils. I kept my hand on the wall for extra support. I felt like someone had broken all of my bones at once, and an unknown source of pain attacked me from the inside and I could feel tears welling up inside me. I was almost on my knees…Then it happened.

Something reached up from the darkness and grabbed my throat. I screamed in both surprise and sudden painful shock. Then it wrenched me forward and threw me head-first down the stairs. Then blackness.

My blackened sleep would have been better. I should have never opened my eyes; I should have dwelled in my estranged sleep for longer. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.

Even before I opened my eyes I could tell that it was pitch black. I dared not move, for I knew that whatever had thrown me down the stairs would notice if I got up. So instead I just closed my eyes again and wished with all of my conscious thoughts that this was some sort of a horrible nightmare. But No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't wish away the icy stone below me, or the stale air that encircled me.

There was wicked from somewhere in the darkness.

"Our friend is sad." A voice announced, followed by more laughter. The voice was purely male. This time I sat up. There was no use in pretending now.

"Who are you?" I asked gravely. The laughter abruptly stopped.

"She seems…strong." A second masculine voice said, "We should keep her for longer."

"Yes," agreed the first speaker, "she does seem _different_ than the others…"

"You haven't answered my question." I said. I tried hard to appear calm, but on the inside I wanted to burst out crying. The two of the speakers laughed.

"I am Lestat." The first speaker said. "And this is my good friend Ithen." I almost choked. He couldn't be Ithen…there was no possible way. He had died right alongside of Theodred. He was the second in command…Theodred's best friend. The first speaker laughed again.

"Are you frightened?" He asked. All around me candles burst into brilliant fiery life and I looked at the shadowed face of my captor. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the horror that stood before me…

**Author's note: tee-hee! I left it at a cliffy…but don't be mad at me. Hey, I have an idea. If I get at least 15 reviews, I will update the story this weekend. So those of you who want to see what happens next, review!**

**And this is R.K. Binx, signing off!**


	13. Some Secrets Are Meant to Stay that Way

**Chapter 13: Some Secrets Are Meant To Stay That Way**

I felt my courage shatter when I saw the owner of the first voice. He was in no way what I had expected, but he seemed familiar. Familiar in a way I could not describe, but familiar none the less. Somehow his messy jet black hair that hung down onto his face and his deep blue eyes struck me as familiar. His pale face watched me from under the screen of black hair, and his lips were slightly parted, as if his next word was caught helplessly on his tongue.

When he saw me, his pale lips bent into a wicked smile.

"Hello, Faelwen." He said. I stared at him in disbelief. How could he know my real name? I stood up slowly.

"Her name's Maddy." Both Lestat and I turned our heads to where the battered form of Ithen stood. He looked as if he had been trampled under a horse's feet, and an orc-made axe stuck out of his chest.

I caught my breath and held it, terrified at Ithen's appearance.

"You know nothing." Lestat snapped.

"Ithen?" My voice was fairly weak. "I thought you were dead."

"I am." Ithen answered sadly. My heart jumped into my throat, and the horrible realization of what was happening slapped me in the face. I guess it had to happen sometime; the realization that what was happening to me was real. I had always believed in it, but part of me still hung back, afraid to admit that it was real. But it came to me suddenly, in that small moment when Ithen's eyes met mine; his lifeless gaze forever engraved in my mind, contradicting the simple reality I had lived with my entire life. This reality, here, was mine; it always had been. I would never fully escape it, or erase it, no matter what world I was in. And in the moment that Ithen's gaze met mine, the world seemed to switch into slow motion, turning over and over again, the simple truth I had avoided for so long finally showing itself fully.

"Sad, isn't it?" Lestat said, a sarcastic tone to his voice. He walked over to me and gripped both of my shoulders with his cold hands. "How you knew him but never took the time to know him? Do you understand?"

I nodded mechanically, fear gripping my body as he leaned his head in close to my ear.

"He has no more life. You can't save him." Lestat moved away from me and walked over to a large basin, sitting on top of a marble stand. I watched as he gestured towards Ithen, and then waved his hand over the basin.

"Goodbye, Ithen." He said. Ithen glanced sadly at me one more time and then his form slowly melted away into a silver light which dove into the basin.

Lestat turned to me and brushed some of the jet black hair out of his eyes. There was a glint of a smile in his face.

"Do you remember me yet?" He asked. I shook my head.

"That's a shame." He continued, "I've remembered you for a long time." I thought his voice sounded kind of sad, but his face was solemnly bent over a book.

"You're familiar." I said truthfully.

"That doesn't matter." He said shortly, "I've waited down here in this prison for years!" His voice grew angry as he turned, his blue eyes blazing. "I always looked to the day when you'd come back, but somehow I was mislead into thinking you'd still remember me!" He came towards me. I backed away, but was stopped by the hard brick wall behind me.

"For years we were together!" He was even angrier now. "And yet you know not who I am!" He trapped me against the wall, and his icy fingers slid around my throat. I choked for air, feeling my conscious self drift away…but there was something about his touch that woke some memory deep inside me; a memory that I had stored away for a long time.

_Flashback_

_It was dark; too dark. Heavy raindrops fell around me and screams echoed throughout the thick air._

_I ran, I ran faster than I ever thought possible, fast enough to bring my lungs to a bursting point._

_But I tripped and fell, gashing the side of my head on a sharp rock as I hit the cold ground. _

_"There's no point in turning back." He said. He had always been there, watching me from the shadows._

_Lestat was the one who had haunted my dreams; he was the immortal that stood before my weak form, offering me a hand. I took it, not knowing that just touching his hand would drag me into the biggest mistake of my life, and in the end even my destruction._

_SSssSSssSSssSSssSSssSSssSSssSSssSSssSS_

_When I woke up, I was lying in grass, a gentle wind slightly ruffling my hair and dress, along with the greenery around me. I sat up slowly, and looked around me. It seemed to be a forest, but it was much too peaceful to be any forest I had seen before. And the sky was white._

_"Well, what do you think?" I turned and saw that the speaker had been a man. But he was in reality no man, but one of the immortals I had been warned about. His jet black hair hung slightly over his face, and his pale lips smiled at me._

_"Where am I?" I asked._

_"You are in between then and now. In the middle of yesterday and tomorrow, before time, yet after destruction. You are in my realm. And I am Lestat."_

_End Flashback_

"You were Time!" I choked out. But his grip tightened.

"I was more than that!" He hissed.

"You--" my vice was fading, the room disappearing from sight, "You were the secret-keeper." He released me, and I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. But he was beside me in an instant, helping me to sit up and then holding me there, muttering some sort of a spell. When I had recovered enough to sit up on my own, he stood up and walked back to the desk, keeping his back to me.

"You didn't remember." He said softly. When he turned around to face me, I could see small tears gleaming in his eyes. "You broke your promise."

"What promise?" I asked. But perhaps that was not the right thing to say, for I could see anger seep back into his eyes.

"For all eternity!" He yelled, flipping the desk onto its side in anger. Images spun around in my mind. _To never leave the other dying;_

"I saved your life!" He was furious, throwing bottles of strange liquids onto the floor.

_One voice would sing, the other crying_

"And then you promised!" He threw the basin onto the floor.

_Bound together by more than a promise,_

_Though one was pure;_

_The other, demonic;_

_Never to cease, their compromise of fates;_

_These two,_

_This pair,_

_The fallen angels of their race_

The verses flooded into my mind, awakening me into memories I had not seen in a long time.

"I lied to you." I said softly. All this time I thought I had been a victim of circumstance, and from what Gandalf had told me this all had been planned by the Dark Lord.

But Sauron had never found me; nor had his forces set the trap to bring me here. It had been Lestat all along; he had planned this from the start.

"And then I went away—back to my mother." My voice was unsteady, "Then you came after me…to try and bring me back. But at the same time The Dark Lord had decided that I was a threat…so Elrond and Gandalf sent me to the other world…" I paused, unsure of all the strange and terrifying memories that had re-entered me. "to keep me from you." I finished uncertainly, but the look in his eyes was almost unbearable; he looked so hurt…so sad, and tears began to slowly make their way down his cheeks.

"And then they sent me here." He said quietly, avoiding my eyes, "To lock me away in a place where I would not be able to do any harm…or find you."

"But you did find me--" I said. He nodded.

"And I tried to bring you back here…but magic isn't as powerful underground…so you were transported somewhere else. I tried to send spirits out to find you, but they were too weak to survive for more than three days." He looked at me, "So I sent a pixie." I felt my heart suddenly stop. The pixie that had saved me from certain death had been sent to find me.

"Then the black stone it gave me was from you." I said, pulling the stone out of a small pocket in the side of my dress. Lestat nodded.

"I had to bind the pixie to the stone, or it would have abandoned you from the start. But with the stone, I could tell exactly where you were, and who you were with." He admitted. He sat down on the edge of a table and motioned for me to come sit next to him.

"So you sent the pixie to give me the stone so you could know where I was?" I asked, not moving from my spot.

"And to protect you." He said, "As long as you had the stone, I could send magic to help you…and even send people to help you." I didn't respond.

"I sent the riders to you when you passed out after the fairy left you. Remember? And I sent a spell to keep you warm." He said.

"But why?" I asked. "Why go through all the trouble of keeping me alive, and bringing me here?" He looked straight into my eyes.

"Because with you here, I am no longer a prisoner. With you here, I am free. I brought you here because from the moment I brought you into my realm on that horrible day so long ago, our fates were bonded together."

I stared at him, both scared and amazed at what I had just heard.

"Should I be afraid of you?" I asked. Gandalf and Elrond had tried to hide me from him…something about him had to be threatening.

"No." He answered.

"Then why did they try so hard to keep me away from you?"

"Because they were afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

He stood up and violently threw a book off of the table.

"They were afraid of what I would become!" He looked at me, both sadness and deep hatred shone through his eyes.

"But what does that have to do with me?"

"You left them, remember? You left them and I found you, half dead and saved you. They didn't want you to help me go against them…they didn't want me to get powerful enough to get revenge against them. You could help me do that, and so they convinced you that I was evil and then they sent you to that other world."

"To protect me from you!" I retorted. "Why were they trying to protect me from you?"

"Because if I grew powerful enough to overthrow them, you would have to be there, right by my side. And you would have been, too! You were going to help me take revenge against those wicked murderers, but they found out and took you away!" He said. I opened my mouth, but found no words waiting for me. I felt like I should go comfort him, but somehow he seemed like the new enemy. I backed away from him slowly until my back once again hit the wall.

"Why did you try so hard to get me back here?" I asked. He looked at me long and hard. After several moments of silence, he walked toward me, holding out his hand. I watched him come to a stop in front of me, and let him take my right hand in his.

"Imo doche navarie." He said softly, and when he let go of my hand, a small blue light flittered up from it and twisted itself into a small luminescent chain.

"As long as you live, I live. When you die, I die. When you feel sad, I have no choice but to feel the same way. We were bound together; that's why I was able to find you, and that's why I had to." He said, looking up into my eyes. Their deep blue color shining with unborn tears, his eyes were lined with thick black, as if he had purposely lined them with eye-liner, but I knew he was incapable of that. All of the suffering I had endured, he had also suffered, but twice as hard. And it had all left him in this desperate and sad state.

I was confused; I didn't know what to do.

With shaking arms, I hugged him close, feeling his body shake with the tears that now flooded down his cheeks.

"Faelwen!" I let go of Lestat in surprise and looked at Gandalf, who had emerged from the darkened staircase. "Faelwen get away from him!"

But Lestat grabbed my arm, and pulled me against him.

"I won't let you take her again!" He said. Gandalf moved slightly, and Théoden, Aragorn, and Eowyn appeared.

I didn't struggle against Lestat's grip. And Gandalf could see that.

"Faelwen, please." Lestat pleaded quietly into my ear. "Don't leave again."

"I have to." I said, and I pulled away from him. Strangely, he didn't try to hold me back, he just watched me go with a mingled expression of pain and misery. I turned back to look at him, but he looked away and shrank back against the wall, folding his knees against his chest, and putting his head down. I was pulled up the steps by Gandalf and Théoden, but all the while I was watching him; the deepest feeling of pain washing over me.

I had betrayed him again.

When we had closed the door and securely hidden it once again, Gandalf turned to me.

"What did he do to you?" He demanded.

"Nothing." I answered truthfully.

"What did he tell you?" He asked.

"Everything that you wouldn't! Why do you keep him locked up down there? What exactly did he do that made him so dangerous?" I said furiously. Gandalf looked back at Théoden and then practically dragged me into a small room with no furniture, and was very dimly lit. Théoden followed.

"You were not always an elf," he started, "after your three-hundredth birthday, you became very distraught and moody. So Elrond decided to send spies after you to see what you were doing."

"And they found," Théoden cut in, "that you were visiting a particularly dark wizard by the name of Lestat. He turned you against your race, and many others."

"Then he lured you into accepting him as your friend, and he made you take part in that bonding ceremony just so that he could use you to destroy all other races but his own." Gandalf said. "Elrond couldn't bear to see that happen to you-or anyone-so he sent you to that other world to keep you away from Lestat. But the bond could not be undone. I guess it was stronger than we thought." I thought about what he had said. All of this was so scary, and so new. Almost terrifying.

"So I was going to help ultimately destroy Middle Earth?" I asked quietly, gulping back the small tears that had formed at the corners of my eyes. Gandalf nodded.

"You had already led three armies and barely destroyed Rohan. You were the reason that so many people died." He said sadly.

"But why didn't you tell me about this? Why keep it from me?" I asked.

"Because the old prophecy foretold that you would someday find him again, and return to him." Théoden said, "We could only hope that you wouldn't find him—but you did."

"But I didn't stay with him." I said softly. Gandalf nodded again.

"But we cannot be sure that you will not go back to him and restart what had been stopped so long ago." He said.

"I'm different now." I said "That was all in my past."

"We can only promise you safety if you swear, with us as your witnesses, that you will never again go to that room and never again will you look upon the being that is Lestat." Gandalf said.

"I promise." I said weakly, tears forming at the edges of my eyes.

"I'll take your word." Théoden said sternly, and then he and Gandalf both left the room, leaving me leaning against the cold brick wall.

I couldn't help but feel distraught; I slowly slid down onto the ground and cried.

Author's note: Please review.

Oh, and I'm thinking of deleting this story. Please tell me what you think.


	14. Almost My Normal Self

**Chapter 14: Almost My Normal Self**

I stayed in bed for three days after the incident with Lestat. It wasn't because I felt guilt about what had happened; it was the opposite. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders, leaving me free of the pressure it had put upon me.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the shadowy presence that I had felt for the majority of my life slipped away…fading into nothing but a dim memory.

Lestat was gone; anything I needed to fear was gone.

But no matter how many times I told myself that, I never succeeded in fully convincing myself. Even in my darkened dreams, I found myself wandering down the same flight of stairs towards Lestat's chamber, but every time I reached the landing, I would catch a glimpse of blood lining the floor and I'd wake up screaming.

Beinion came to see me every day, and he usually brought me some odd little object he had found while walking, or some type of wild flower. In many ways, he was the only thing that inspired me to get out of bed.

"Maddy?" He asked in his small little voice, not waiting for an answer, but coming in and jumping onto the foot of my bed.

"Good morning." I said with a big sigh. He giggled.

"It's afternoon." He said.

"Oh," I said, sitting up and stretching, "Well then, we should be getting out to the great hall to get something to eat." He nodded happily and hurried out of the room to let me get dressed in peace. I put on a dark blue gown, feeling a little happier with it's brighter color than usual. Eowyn would probably burst with joy when she saw me wearing it.

I slipped the dress over my head and straightened my messy hair. Beinion was still waiting for me outside, so I hurriedly exited my room.

"C'mon, Maddy!" He said happily, grabbing my hand, and leading me towards the great hall. But before we got there, he stopped and looked back at me, trying to decide something.

"You don't look any different." He said.

"What?" I asked, taken aback.

"Gandalf said you were _different, _and I should be careful when I was with you." He answered.

"Well, don't worry." I assured him, "I'm not any different."

"I know." He answered, "You're still my new mommy." I couldn't help but smile at his words. He had adopted me into his life as his motherly figure, and I was thankful that there was one person in this place that truly appreciated my presence.

When we entered the Great Hall, only the elf sat at one of the tables, sipping every now and then out of a large mug. He looked up when we entered.

"Faelwen." He said, nodding at me.

"Her name's Maddy!" Beinion said defensively. Legolas looked from Beinion, then back at me.

"Faelwen was her old name." Legolas said.

"Beinion," I said, "Why don't you go and fetch me some water. Think you could manage?"

"Okay," He said slowly, glancing one last time at the elf, and then hurrying off.

"How dare you!" I said angrily. "How dare you and the others show up here and ruin everything!"

"We had not planned to ruin anything." The elf answered.

"Beinion is only a child," I retorted, "and yet here you are, filling hid head with nonsense! For example, how dare you tell him to be careful around me, like I'd try and kill him or something! That's bullshit, and you know it! Second of all, why would you do that?"

"You killed hundreds of my people!" Said Legolas.

"What? So that gives you the right to poison little Beinion's mind with filthy stories about me? He's the only thing I have left!" I said. Legolas looked slightly shocked.

"We only told him as to protect him." He said quietly.

"Well, do me a favor," I said, holding back the anger from my voice, "And never, never again talk to that little boy unless you have something to say that isn't about me and how horrible I am."

"I'm sorry to have upset you," Legolas answered, "But I was just trying to protect him—"

"Last time I checked, you weren't the one who rescued him and his brother from the forest and traveled with them back to Rohan, nor were you the person that Beinion came to when he had a nightmare."

"I'm sorry, Faelwen." He said.

"Maddy?" I turned to see Beinion walking towards us with a mug in his hands.

"Let's go outside." I said, taking his hand and leading him out into the open air. The elf just watched us go. I took the cup from Beinion, thankful now to have something to drink, and we sat down side by side on the steps outside of the Great Hall.

"Thanks, Beinion." I said, placing the cup on the cold stone step.

"You're welcome." He said happily. I smiled at him and then turned my gaze towards the far off mountains. I couldn't' tell which ones they were, but from my viewpoint they looked majestic.

Someone cleared their throat behind us. I turned and saw Aragorn and Gimili standing in the doorway to the Great Hall.

"Eowyn requests your presence." Aragorn said.

"What for?" I asked, but Aragorn only shrugged. I stood up and walked past Aragorn. "Make sure Beinion gets his supper." I added, waving good-bye to Beinion.

As I made my way to Eowyn's room, I couldn't help but feel a slight tug of curiosity to why Eowyn would need me. But when I opened the door and found her standing in the center of the room with swords laying about her feet and armor strewn on the floor, I suddenly knew why.

"There you are!" She exclaimed when I walked in, "Now, hurry, close the door. I don't want my uncle to see all these." I obediently shut the door and walked over to the pile of armor.

"What are all these for?" I asked, picking up a shield that bore the faded picture of a rearing horse. I slid my hand along the aged surface and closed my eyes, trying to imagine what the wielder must have felt when they rode into battle carrying this same shield. A grief feeling of dread washed over me, and for the few seconds that I let it pass through my body I felt almost as if I _was _the person who first wielded this shield. I quickly opened my eyes and inhaled deeply as the sensation vanished, leaving me with a slight headache. I put the shield on the floor and instead picked up a helmet.

_Didn't have time to escape…_

I dropped the helmet when the voice intruded on my thoughts. I saw a brief image of a young man, bleeding and dying, laying on blood-stained sand, rain falling over him. For a brief moment, I felt as if I _was _him. I looked over at Eowyn, who, not noticing my spell, was trying on a helmet.

"You'll need a small shirt…" she was saying.

"No." I said quickly. She looked over at me startled.

"But you can't possibly go out into a war wearing a dress!" She said. Then it donned on me. She wanted me to go with her into battle to defend Rohan. "We'll go to Helm's Deep and there we will defend…" she continued as if I had never spoken at all.

"You don't understand," I said, "these things were worn by people that are dead! I just can't wear them!" She stopped what she was doing and looked at me. But this time she wasn't looking at me just because I had spoken. She was looking at me like she was looking at me for the first time, as if I was a new being entirely.

She looked down at the floor, and then finally back up at me. There were small tears in her eyes. "I know." She said softly.

There was moment of silence in which we both stood awkwardly, wishing the other would speak first.

"Eowyn," I said, "you don't need to fight…there's another purpose for you." I remembered the movie of The Lord of the Rings. I had watched it more times than I could count; and I remembered the scene where Eowyn defeated the wraith.

"Still," she said stubbornly, "we don't have enough men. You should have heard my uncle and Gandalf…there's no way…"

"And you think that by your death they'll be any better off?" I retorted. She looked up at me, tossing a small dagger to the side.

"No…" she admitted, sitting down on the floor.

"Eowyn," I said, "be ready to fright…but don't jump at any opportunity."

She nodded slowly, and then busied herself once again with the armor. I left her room without another word.

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I walked into the great hall where many of the men were sitting around the tables, drinking. My presence went completely unnoticed, even when I found a spot against the back and sat, drawing my knees up to my chest. It felt cold in the great hall; colder than it had ever felt before.

"Feeling okay, lass?" The voice slightly startled me. Gimili was seated on my far right.

"I-" I hesitated; I really didn't like lying, "I'm fine."  
Gimili nodded. "You look a little pale." He pointed out. _How the Hell can you tell if I'm pale or not in this lighting?_ I thought.

"Probably just the lighting." I lied. I knew that I probably did look pale…I felt pale…

"So…what did Eowyn wish to speak with you about?" Gimili asked casually. Pssssh, when you've been a con-artist as long as I have, you can tell the difference between "casual", and _casual. _And Gimili was definitely looking for information.

"Why don't you just come out and say it?" I asked, "I've gotten out of enough grounding to know better than to be fooled by your casual request for info."

"The elf wanted to know." Gimili said, shrugging.

"And what business is it to him?" I demanded, jerking my head to look at Gimili's rugged features.

"He wants to make sure you're safe…" Gimili answered.

"Well you can tell him…" I paused, "you can tell him that his pompous ass is getting on my nerves."

Gimili laughed, "His pompous ass has always gotten on my nerves."

It was my turn to laugh.

"But there's something you ought to know." Gimili continued, on a more serious note, "I've seen you with that boy, Beinion, and you're like his own mother. I know you would never hurt him. And…Legolas was the one that suggested telling Beinion to be careful of you."

"I kind of thought that." I replied quietly.

"He thinks he's being smart." Gimili said.

"Well he does have reason to hate me." I said.

"No matter," Gimili said, "just ignore him. You're a right fine girl. I'm with Gandalf…I think you've changed back to the better you…"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, guys! I've decided nto to delete this, but I might not update as much as I did. Please, please, please review!

Reviews always inspire me to write another chapter more quickly!


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